Flexible conduit blanket system to facilitate installation of communication outlets

ABSTRACT

A flexible conduit blanket and a method for installing a communication outlet in a wall comprising a flexible conduit blanket are disclosed. Generally, a first hole in an enclosure of a flexible conduit blanket abutting a wall is created. A flexible extension tube is installed such that it is in communication with the flexible conduit blanket, an activated detection cap is placed on an end of a communication medium, the end of the communication medium is placed into the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket, and an external force is placed on the communication medium to thread the end of the communication medium through a wall of a structure. A handheld device is used to find a location of the detection cap behind the wall and a second hole is created in the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket to pull the end of the communication medium out of the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket. The end of the communication medium is connected to a communication outlet and the communication outlet is mounted to the wall.

BACKGROUND

Currently, when building a structure, a builder or electrician designs and installs all of the communication media outlets for the structure before the walls of the structure are completed. If the structure is later rewired after the walls of the structure are completed, the rewiring is normally expensive and time consuming due to the problems involved with threading a wire or cable through the interior of an existing wall. It would be desirable to develop a product and method to quickly and inexpensively rewire a structure after the walls of the structure are completed. Additionally, it would be desirable to develop a product and method for accurate determination of a location of an end of a communications medium behind walls, floors or other structural elements when rewiring a structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a cross-section of a wall comprising one embodiment of a flexible conduit blanket;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of one embodiment of a flexible conduit blanket;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of one embodiment of an extension tube for use with a flexible conduit blanket;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method for installing a communication outlet in a wall comprising a flexible conduit blanket;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a cross-section of a wall comprising another embodiment of a flexible conduit blanket;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of one embodiment of a detection cap to facilitate external detection of a communication medium behind a wall, floor, or other structural element; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram of one embodiment of a method for locating an end of a communication medium.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is directed to a flexible conduit blanket to facilitate installation of a communication outlet connected to a communication medium at any point on a wall after a structure has been built. The present disclose is additionally directed to a cap to facilitate external detection of a communication medium behind a wall, floor, or other structural element.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a cross-section of a wall comprising one embodiment of a flexible conduit blanket. It will be appreciated that the structure may be a residence, office building, a store, or any other type of building. Generally, the wall 100 comprises an external cladding 102, a flexible conduit blanket 104, a stud 106, insulation 108, and an inner wall 110. The external cladding 102, stud 106, insulation 108, and inner wall 110 may be any material used or known in the art for building a structure. For example, the external cladding 102 may comprise brick, stone, wood, or metal; the stud 106 may comprise wood or metal; the insulation 108 may comprise wool; and the inner wall 110 may comprise plasterboard.

One embodiment of the flexible conduit blanket 104 is shown in FIG. 2. The flexible conduit blanket 104 typically comprises a multi-layer high strength flexible material such as Plastic, vinyl, Kevlar, “Tyvec”^(rt) or any similar material known in the art that will prevent ripping. The flexibility of the conduit blanket 104 allows the flexible conduit blanket 104 to be wrapped around a wall 100 of a structure, or a portion of a wall 100 of a structure, during construction. The flexible conduit blanket 104 only abuts the external cladding 102, stud 106, or inner wall 110, and preferably does not support the structure of the wall 100 in any way.

The flexible conduit blanket 104 typically comprises one or more semi-rigid enclosures 112 that are operable to receive a communication medium such as a coax cable, a fiber optic cable, a telephone wire, or any other type of cable or wire known in the art, and direct the communication medium through the enclosure in response to an external force on the communication medium. The enclosures 112 may be solid or flexible tunnels that run through at least a portion of the flexible conduit blanket 104. Further, the enclosures 112 may be filled with air or a “jelly” substance. During operation, an installer may access the enclosure 112 of the flexible conduit blanket 104, feed a portion of the communication medium into the enclosure 112, and then place an external force on the communication medium to thread the communication medium from a first point on the wall 100 to a second point on the wall 100. The installer may create the external force by pushing the communication medium into the wall 100 or by using a device such as an air compressor or rod to create the external force on the communication medium.

The flexible conduit blanket 104 may be placed along a wall 100 so that a communication medium is directed horizontally along a wall 100 or vertically along a wall 100. Further, in one embodiment, the flexible conduit blanket 104 may comprise a first set of enclosures 114 that direct a communication medium vertically along a wall 100, and a second set of enclosures 116 that direct a communication medium horizontally along a wall 100. By making a hole in the conduit blanket 104 to the set of horizontal enclosures, a communication medium can be threaded horizontally through the conduit blanket to a particular position in the structure, and then threaded vertically through the conduit blanket 104 by threading the communication medium vertically through the set of vertical enclosures. The communication medium may be threaded from the set of horizontal enclosures to the set of vertical enclosures by creating an aperture between the two sets of enclosures. It will be appreciated that the flexible conduit blanket 104 may be placed along a wall 100 so that a communication medium is directed vertically along a long distance such as between stories of a structure.

The flexible conduit blanket 104 may be placed on exterior or interior walls, one wall, one sub-floor, one ceiling, a whole house, or any sub-set thereof, depending on structure design requirements or the desire of the structure owner. In one example, the flexible conduit blanket 104 would be placed on one major outside wall during a construction phase of the structure. Dimensions on a typical wall covering a basement to a roof area of a three-story home that may be covered by the flexible conduit blanket 104 are 36′ by 22′. In another example, a conduit blanket 104 comprising a first set of enclosures to direct a communication medium vertically along a wall and a second set of enclosures to direct a communication medium horizontally along the wall is wrapped around a structure. In yet another example, the conduit blanket 104 may be wrapped around a structure so that a communication medium can be sent from an interior of one room to an interior of another room. In this example, the communication medium can be inserted into the conduit blanket 104 and accessed by simply creating holes in the inner walls of the structure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of one embodiment of a flexible extension tube for use with the flexible conduit blanket of FIGS. 1 and 2. Generally, an installer may use the flexible extension tube 114 to create a tunnel running from an exterior of a wall to an enclosure 112 of a flexible conduit blanket 104. The flexible extension tube 118 allows an installer to easily insert an end of a communication medium into a flexible conduit blanket through a wall or pull an end of a communication medium from a flexible conduit blanket through a wall.

During rewiring of a structure, after an installer drills a hole through the structure of a wall to a flexible conduit blanket 104 and creates a hole in the flexible conduit blanket 104, the installer may insert the flexible extension tube 118 into the hole of the wall and the hole of the flexible conduit blanket 104 such that the end of the flexible extension tube 118 is in communication with an enclosure 112 of the flexible conduit blanket 104. In one embodiment, the flexible extension tube 118 additionally comprises a rigid penetration structure that overlays an end of the flexible extension tube 118 to protect and guide the end of the flexible extension tube 118 as it is inserted through the structure of the wall to the flexible conduit blanket 104. The installer may then insert an end of a communication medium into the enclosure 112 of the flexible conduit blanket 104 via the flexible extension tube 118 or pull an end of a communication medium from the enclosure 112 of the flexible conduit blanket 104 via the flexible extension tube 114.

In one embodiment, the flexible extension tube 118 comprises a multi-layer high strength flexible material such as Plastic, vinyl, Kevlar, “Tyvec”^(rt) or any similar material known in the art that will prevent the flexible extension tube 118 from ripping. Additionally, the end of the flexible extension tube 114 in communication with the enclosure 112 of the flexible conduit blanket 104 may be dimensioned to be substantially the same as a hole in the flexible conduit blanket 104.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for installing a communication outlet on a wall comprising a flexible conduit blanket. Generally, the method 400 begins with an installer drilling a first entry hole in a wall to access a flexible conduit blanket 402. It will be appreciated that the wall may be an exterior wall or an inner wall. The installer creates a first entry hole in the flexible conduit blanket and inserts a flexible extension tube in the first entry hole such that the flexible extension tube is in communication with the flexible conduit blanket 404. The installer places at least a portion of a communication medium into an enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket through the hole in the flexible conduit blanket 406 and places an external force on the communication medium to thread the communication medium through the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket 408. The installers may physically create the external force themselves on the communication medium or may use a device such as an air compressor or a rod to create the external force on the communication medium.

At any point before or after drilling a hole in the wall 402, creating a hole in the conduit blanket 404, placing a portion of a communication medium into the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket 406, and placing an external force on the communication medium 408, the installer drills a second hole in a wall to access the flexible conduit blanket 410. The installer creates a second hole in the flexible conduit blanket and inserts a flexible extension tube in the second hole such that the flexible extension tube is in communication with the flexible conduit blanket 412. It will be appreciated that the second hole may be made in the same wall as the first hole, or the second hole may be made in a different wall than the first hole.

After placing the external force on the communication medium 408 and creating the second hole in the flexible conduit blanket 412, the installer pulls an end of the communication medium through the second hole in the flexible conduit blanket 414. The installer connects the end of the communication medium to a communication outlet 416 and mounts the communication outlet to a wall 418.

It will be appreciated that the above-described method may be used to feed a communication medium from one point on an external wall to another point on an internal wall, from one point on an external wall to another point on an external wall, or from one point on an internal wall to another point on an internal wall.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a cross-section of a wall comprising another embodiment of a flexible conduit blanket. Unlike the flexible conduit blanket of FIG. 1, which is located between the exterior cladding and the interior wall, the flexible conduit blanket of FIG. 5 is located within siding on an exterior of wall. Generally, the wall 500 comprises an exterior siding 502, a flexible conduit blanket 504 within the exterior siding 502, a stud 506, insulation 508, and an inner wall 510. The exterior siding 502, stud 506, insulation 508, and inner wall 510 may be any material used or known in the art for building a structure.

The flexible conduit blanket 504 comprises a flexible material such as a multi-layer high strength flexible material that will prevent ripping to allow the flexible conduit blanket 504 to be wrapped around an entire structure within the exterior siding 502, or a portion of a wall within the exterior siding 502, during construction. While the flexible conduit blanket 504 is within the exterior siding 502, the flexible conduit blanket preferably does not support the exterior siding 502 or any other portion of the wall 500 in any way.

The flexible conduit blanket 504 typically comprises one or more semi-rigid enclosures 512 that are operable to receive a communication medium such as a coax cable, a fiber optic cable, a telephone wire, or any other type of cable or wire known in the art, and direct the communication medium through the enclosure in response to an external force on the communication medium. As described above, the enclosures 512 may be filled with air or a jelly-like substance. Similar to the embodiment described above with respect to FIGS. 1-4, an installer may access the enclosure 512 of the flexible conduit blanket 504, feed a portion of the communication medium into the enclosure 512, and then place an external force on the communication medium to thread the communication medium from a first point on the wall 500 to a second point on the wall 500.

When rewiring a structure using the conduit blanket described above, it may sometimes be difficult for an installer to know where an end of the communication medium is behind a wall, floor, or other structural element of a structure due to the fact the enclosures of the conduit blanket may not be wrapped exactly horizontal or vertical along a wall or due to the fact the conduit blanket may shift over time. FIG. 6 is a diagram of one embodiment of a detection cap 600 to be placed on an end of a communication medium to facilitate determining an accurate location of the communication medium behind a wall, floor, or other structural element. Before a communication medium is inserted into a conduit blanket as described above, a detection cap 600 is activated and placed over an end of the communication medium. After the detection cap 600 is activated, the detection cap 600 emits a signal that may be detected by a hand-held detector so that an installer may find the location of the detection cap 600, and therefore the end of the communication medium, behind a wall, floor, or other structural element.

The detection cap 600 generally comprises a first section 602, a second section 604 separated from the first section 602 by a seal 606, and a chamber 608 operative to receive an end of a communication medium 610. The first and section sections 602, 604 are operative to each hold a different liquid element that does not normally emit a signal. However, when the seal 606 between the first and second sections 602, 604 is broken, thereby activating the detection cap 600, the liquid elements stored in the first and second sections 602, 604 mix together and emit a signal detectable by a hand-held detector.

In one embodiment, the liquid elements stored in the first and second sections 602, 604 may be an iodine isotope. Typically, the liquid elements are non-toxic, and not harmful to humans or animals. Further, once mixed together, the liquid elements typically emit a signal for a limited period of time.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of one embodiment of a method for locating an end of a communication medium using a detection cap. The method begins 700 with an installer breaking a seal between a first and second area of a detection cap to activate the detection cap 702. As described above, by breaking the seal between the first and second sections of the detection cap, the liquid elements originally stored in the first and second sections of the detection cap mix and begin to emit a signal.

The detection cap is then placed on an end of the communication medium 704. It will be appreciated that activating the detection cap 702 and placing the detection cap on an end of the communication medium 704 may be separate actions, or steps 702 and 704 may be one action in that the act of placing the detection cap on an end of the communication medium causes the seal between the first and second areas of the detection cap to break to activate the detection cap. The end of the communication medium with the detection cap is inserted into the conduit blanket and threaded from a first point in a wall to a second point in a wall 706 as described above with respect to FIG. 4. However, before drilling a hole in a wall at the second point in the wall, the installer uses a hand-held device to detect a location of the detection cap 708. After determining the location of the detection cap 708 the installer drills a hole in the wall at the second point 710. The installer then pulls the detection cap and end of the communication medium from the conduit blanket 712, and installs the communication outlet 714 as described above with respect to FIG. 4.

It will be appreciated that the disclosed flexible conduit blanket, method for installing a communication outlet on a wall comprising a flexible conduit blanket, and detection cap provide the ability to quickly and inexpensively rewire a structure after the walls of the structure have been built. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention. 

1. A flexible conduit blanket comprising a plurality of enclosures operative to receive a communication medium and to direct the communication medium along a portion of a wall of a structure in response to an external force.
 2. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of enclosures directs the communication medium horizontally along the wall.
 3. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of enclosures directs the communication medium vertically along the wall
 4. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of enclosures directs the communication medium from a first story of the structure to a second story of the structure.
 5. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein a first set of the plurality of enclosures directs a communication medium horizontally along the wall and a second set of the plurality of enclosures directs a communication medium vertically along the wall.
 6. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket comprises plastic.
 7. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket comprises vinyl.
 8. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket comprises Kevlar.
 9. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of enclosures is semi-rigid.
 10. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 9, wherein the plurality of enclosures prevent the flexible conduit blanket from collapsing.
 11. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket is operable to receive a detection cap on an end of the communication medium, the detection cap comprising: a first section operable to hold a first liquid element; a second section operable to hold a second liquid element; and a seal separating the first section and the second section; wherein breaking the seal causes the first liquid element in the first section to mix with the second liquid element in the second section; and wherein the mixture of the first and second liquid elements emits a signal.
 12. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket is operable to receive a flexible extension tube, the flexible extension tube operative to communicate with at least one of the plurality of enclosures of the flexible conduit blanket.
 13. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket abuts, but does not support the wall of the structure.
 14. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket is operative to be placed between an outer wall of the structure and an inner wall of the structure.
 15. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit blanket is operative to placed in a siding of an outer wall of the structure.
 16. A method for installing a communication outlet in a wall comprising a flexible conduit blanket, comprising: creating a first hole in an enclosure of a flexible conduit blanket abutting at least a portion of a wall; placing at least a portion of at least one communication medium into the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket; placing an external force on the at least one communication medium; creating a second hole in the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket; pulling an end of the at least one communication medium out of the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket through the second hole; connecting the end of the at least one communication medium to a communication outlet; and mounting the communication outlet to the wall.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: drilling a first hole in a second wall prior to creating the first hole in the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket; and drilling a second hole in the wall prior to creating the second hole in the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: drilling a hole in the wall prior to creating the first hole in the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket; and drilling a hole in the wall prior to creating the second hole in the enclosure of the flexible conduit blanket.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein an air compressor creates the external force on the at least one communication medium.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein a rod creates the external force on the at least one communication medium.
 21. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the at least one communication medium is a fiber-optic cable.
 22. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the at least one communication medium is a telephone wire.
 23. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the at least one communication medium is a coax cable.
 24. The method of claim 16, further comprising: activating a detection cap; placing the detection cap on an end of the at least a portion of at least one communication medium prior to placing the at least a portion of at least one communication medium into the enclosure of the flexile conduit blanket; and detecting a signal emitted by the detection cap.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein activating a detection cap comprises: mixing a first liquid element with a second liquid element.
 26. A flexible conduit blanket comprising: a first plurality of enclosures operative to direct a communication medium in a first direction along a wall of a structure in response to an external force; and a second plurality of enclosures operative to direct a communication medium in a second direction along the wall of the structure in response to an external force; wherein the flexible conduit blanket abuts the wall of the structure.
 27. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 26, wherein at least one of the first and second plurality of enclosures is operable to receive a detection cap on an end of the communication medium, the detection cap comprising: a first section operable to hold a first liquid element; a second section operable to hold a second liquid element; and a seal separating the first section and the second section; wherein breaking the seal causes the first liquid element in the first section to mix with the second liquid element in the second section; and wherein the mixture of the first and second liquid elements emits a signal.
 28. The flexible conduit blanket of claim 26, wherein the flexible conduit blanket is operable to receive a flexible extension tube, the flexible extension tube operative to communicate with at least one the first and second plurality of enclosures. 